The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-09

Miranda Larkin, q daughter of the widow who
had been Installed as housekeeper to his father,
maiden of little less than Hannah's own age, had
long served help" in the Burr farm house, with
the faithful service of the antique years." and
though she resented the proclamation of her clean
doors and new wood-shed with chalk and charcoal,
| she owned to Phils mother that the boy IA
master hand TO dror out things. Why, he done our
red bull lateral as life onto the barn door; and
them chickens out in the shed-you can almost
hearem erawkin an CROWN. 1 can't never abide
black scratches onto my clean doors, but seems as
| though them HOSES he done yesterday was aliye
sort hated to scour' EN- off,"
But Phil appeased her wrath by picture of her
pet cat drawn on a paper box cover. with all its
beauteous tortoseshell tnts displayed in color for
he had found soft yellow stone in the clay banks
that he ground up on bit of slate, taken some
lamp.blaok from piece of glass smoked for the
purpose, and put shadow of pokeberry juice in
the centre of the yellow eyes that expressed to his
rudeeritcs the fire of the huntress.
"Oh, my land |" was Mirandy's delighted ejacula-
tion do look a that, Mis- Burr Don't Kit look
! exact as though she sec mouse2' And thereafter
IPhiI had the freedom of the kitchen doors inside
and out,
But the cat proved his friend otherwise. Miriam
| dys aunt, Mrs Dmon, kept a country tavern in
town twenty miles from Feeding Hills in one of the
There Mirandy annually resorted for visit. since
Mrs. Dimon was her only living relative So she
carried the cat picture with her this year. and while
she staid il was promoted to the paror shelf in the
aforesaid tavern and there attracted the attention
Of an artist who was painting picture for New
York millionaire of the latter's birthplace among
/ the hills.
lie asked Mirandy many questions about the pic
ture, when he found out II was her property, and
| hut he nj fpora
puity of the young painter as he had been by the
spirit and grace of the picture,
Mirandy was devoted to Phil, and knew all his
| MtheFs wishes In regard to him. for she was Han
nah Bnrrs friend and contdante as well as servant
and the fountains of her speech were unloosed
when once she began to talk about their boy.
Mr.. Grey grew deeply interested, and at last vol
upleered go back with MiFandy to Feeding Hills
and finding there bright, handsome young fellow
of seventeen with marked genius for painting
losing his time in country farm house, he used all
his eoquenoc to persuade MIS-. Burr to let Phil go
back with him to New York and study the profes-
sion for which he showed such great capacity.
But Hannah was slow to PERSUADE she had heard
vague rumors of that vast and wicked city, which
took rank In her own mind with sodom and Gomor-
rah and her conscience recoiled from sending her
only boy into such temptations; but then there were
Stephens injunctions, and Hannah was primitive
and simple enough to consider that she must obey
her husband: she always had while he lived, and
innate reverence for death, which is common tothe
race forbade her to rebel against his wishes now,
She listened to Mr. GTey's fluent catalogue Of the
advantages this step offered to Phil, but her mind
was perplexed.
"oh, said she, with pathetic inhiction, "'tain't
that. 1 suppose 'twould be great thing for his
paintin' but he isn't professor, and It's like send.
in of him to sodom. don't know as there is ten
good pious men in it, more'n there was in
Sodom."
she looked into AIr. Gray's face with those child:
like innocent eyes that sin beled tpe carly threads
of grey in her hair and certain awe of snch pure
simplicity checked the smile that had almost curled
his lip.
Yes indeed, Mrs. Burr, there are many good men
there 1 assure you; am sure Philip will remember
his mothers lessons while he is learning what no
one can teach him here about his art"
81 suppose he must CO." she said, sadly
| Land Yes,f Put in MirandF who had listened
20 the conversation, with her arms akimbo and her
1 apron thrown over one shoulder Twill make a
cass Of ai5n Mis- Burr II he staid here forever an
ever long of us. he wouldn't be worth shueks
What's he agoin' 70 learn here, I'd like to knew
'risn't nothing of pull 10 milk an hos an chop an
sech; any fool can do that, Besides. 'twont make
him strong as man had oughter be- to putter along
here with two women-folks like you an me; an
! our ways expect Is kind Of old style Why. when
when was over to Aunt Nanoy'S the was some
thin about deed o. that flve.acre wood lot mother
| left to me- / sold IT, ye know Well. Lawyer Curtis
come in with the dockyment, an said I'd got to
swear to it somehow. why, man alive, says l.
what do you take me for-one O. the profane fel-
lers9 Why, never Gid seeGh thing iH pF iiEiA
hle!H
! asWell the must be first time. says he AN
you've got to do it, you can't sell that wood lot"
ave fit it quite spell; an fnly give in. IT
must must saYsI. Damn IT. VI he didn't just
roar out laughiR', Seemed as though should give
up felt so wicked but they don't mind it-oyeT
there more'n nothing, an mabbe it's so to York
Idees is different in different places, expect but
folks isn't wckern other folks because they haven't
got the same idees."
Mr. Grey barely kept his eountenanee through
this piece of confusing ethics, but Hannah seemed
| to derive certain vague comfort FROM Il.
"Wel sir, if is so 70 be, why 1t must be- we can't
ly in the face Of fTroyIdential ordeFin, and 1t does
seem as though way had been made and prepared
| for Philly-and Stephen said so. You'll take good
| care of HIM, won't your" and the pleading eyes
! flied with tears as she looked up at MIR. Grey.
"so- far as can, will he said. But Philip is
almost man; he must and will learn to take of
| himself"
So it was arranged that when Mr. Grey went hens
TO New York he SHOULD pome py stage 10 Feeding
Hi and there taking up Philip strike across coun=
try to the nearest railway the only way being to go
by private conveyance SO remote from every public
route of travel was the Hills.
Then Hannah and Miranda set themselves to dill
gent sewing. Mr. Gray had the foresight to tell them
that Phil would get better and cheaper clothes in
tho city than Tempy Rassett, the tailoress. could
make; but still there were shirts and other things
| foo, fnfru
to knit; and when his fathers old hair trunk was
fetched from the garret, Mirandy prepared to pack
it herself
'You go long and sit with your ma, Philly" she
ordered. 1--WE packed trunks before now, an it's
quite little chore, tell ye. You hayent never
dope it. an you Won't know how"
20 Phil left it to her, and Mirandy innocent man
@uvre was not suspected she had determined to
put in many comfort and luxury for her boy that
should surprise him and speak TO him Of home when
he opened that eapacious brass nailed receptacle in
the great city.
'what you bakin all theia little cakes for Miriam
dy2" asked Luke Vedder, the "hired man" who had
2 taste for dainties.
aDon't hoIler so" answered Mirandy. droppinghe
yoice; them is for Philip 70 haye d9wRi IN York,
don't suppose he'll get InonthfH Of honest vitles
there, an guess he'll be proper glad 10 find them
when he opens his trunk"
"shoI you s'pose they dom know how to cook Wit
tles down there? Why folks go there to getthe best
I've heered tell Ships is sailin in there continual,
with all sorts of forrn truck aboard of EN-. Ts the
greatest place for ean an drinkin an swearin' an
rasin' Ned gener'ly that the is under the canopy"
81 don't believe word ont" stoHllY returned
Miranda, proceeding to remove tho seive of savory
gingeFsnaps from Luke's admiring and longing gaze.
When the day came to go, and Mr.. Grey was de-
posted by the stage-which went on in another d.
rection-at the door, where Mr.. Burrs farm wagon,
with Luke to drive it, waited to carry the two otrav
elers over the river Phils trunk evidently too full
for the lock to hold It, fetched down thestair
Luke's back; it was tied round and round with a
Fone-truth TO tell. one Of Mifandyis old clothes
| lines. Alast wind apd weather had rotted and
ffayed its taut strands and when Luke whisked it
over his shoulder with groan, down it came on the
stone steps, the rope broke the tawny cover few off,
and out rolled mixture of clean linen, red apples
gingersnaps, wooden stockings loaf of frosted
cake. pair of carpet slippers, several dozen fat
doughnuts, knitted red nighto cap. box Of butter